Supporter garment



United States Patent Office 2,695,610 Patented Nov. 310, 1954 SUPPORTERGARMENT Raleigh McCabe, Morton Grove, Ill.

Application January 21, 1953, Serial No. 332,173

This invention relates to supporter garment and has for a broad objectthe provision of a garment which may be used to support the abdomen andmale organs with a great degree of eiliciency and comfort for thewearer.

A more limited object of the invention is the provision of such agarment which will accommodate movements and postures of the wearer insuch manner that comfort is maintained and irritation to the crotch andnatural creases adjacent the crotch is avoided.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such a garment ata relatively low cost and few operations to accomplish the foregoingobjects.

Supporters for males, heretofore used, have tended to cause discomfortwhen giving adequate support or have failed to give support withadequate tolerances for movements and various postures. This invention,due to novel features of construction, provides the desired support andat the same time movements, and a sitting posture for example, tend todecrease the possibilities that a seam or folded portion will enter andirritate the natural creases between the legs and buttocks.

A further object is the provision of a garment with which movements anda sitting posture will tend to urge the garment from the creases of thebody and preserve comfort.

A further and complete understanding of the invention may be had byreference to the accompanying draw ings in which like numerals denotecorresponding parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the garment,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the garment on a wearer.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the garment G comprises a pair of oppositelydisposed side panels 5 and 6, prefer ably formed of elastic fabriccapable of horizontal stretching primarily, and a rear panel 7preferably of elastic x fabric with Vertical elasticity; a front panel 8comprises oppositely arranged strips 9 and 10 which are joined centrallyand vertically of the garment, while strip 10 overlies strip 9 at 10A,and is sewn down to strip 9 except at utility slit 11 which is shownclosed by a slide fastener 12, but may be replaced by snap fasteners ifdesired.

In making strips 9 and 10, the edges which are sewn to side panels 5 and6 are made longer than the adjacent edges of panels 5 and 6; and asthese edges are sewn together, the edges of panels 5 and 6 are stretchedto cause the strips 9 and 10 to form a supporting pouch of puckeredshape 13 when stretching pressure is re leased.

The lower edge of front panel 8 is joined to the lower central portionof rear panel 7 in a transverse seam S, the outer ends 14 and 15 ofwhich are formed by the joinder of the downwardly and inwardly extendedfront ends 16 and 17 of panels 5 and 6 to the bottom edge of rear panel7. This construction provides folds 18 and a 19 in side panels 5 and 6when the garment is flat, and accommodates lateral expansion formovement when worn.

Referring. now to Fig. 2, back 7 decreases in width from top to itslower edge at seam S, and adjacent the lower and back edges of sidepanels 5 and 6, is slit transversely to receive wedge shaped gores 20and 21 which are sewn into the slits, and to the bottom back and inneredges of side panels 5 and 6 to help form opposite leg portions andprovide an expansible bottom B, which accommodates the wearers movementsand sitting posture; when lying fiat the garment G forms folds 22 and 23in bottom B,'due to the gores 20 and 21 and the increasing lower widthof back panel 7, and proviges a gusset effect on each side forexpansible bottom The lower outer ends of gores 20 and 21 end atapproximately the lower back edges of side panels 5 and 6, and alongwith the outer back edges of back panel 7 are sewn to panels 5 and 6;the lower edges of panels 5 and 6 are preferably hemmed with an overcastand zig-zag stitch to allow for expansionl of the leg portions formed byjoining the front and back lower edges of panels 5 and 6 to adjacentedges of back panel 7 with its gores 20 and 21.

It can be seen that there is no central vertical seam at the bottom rearof the garment to enter and irritate the natural creases and folds ofthe body, and that the abdomen and male organs will be adequatelysupported while the body movements are accommodated by the expansiblebottom B, the leg portions and the elasticity of the componentmaterials.

When the complete supporting effect is not desired, woven or knitted ornetted material may be substituted, and the gusset effect created by theback panel, its gores, and their joinder to the side panels in thetransverse seam described above, will provide the expansible bottomwhich will prevent discomfort to the wearer. An elastic waist band maybe added for suspension in such cases.

Other variations may be made without departing from the spirit of thisinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to precise details but Wishto avail myself of changes coming fairly within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporter garment comprising a central back panel having insertedgores on opposite sides thereof, a front panel joined to said back panelin a transverse seam at the lowermost edge of said back panel, and sidepanels joined to said back and front panels along vertical seams withthe lower ends of said side panels joined to said back panel on oppositesides of said front panel in continuation of said transverse seam, thesaid front panel being longer than said side panels so as to form apouch at the point where the front panel is joined to said back panel.

2. A supporter garment comprising a central back panel having insertedgores on opposite sides thereof, a front panel joined to said back panelin a transverse .seam at the lowermost edge of said back panel, and sidepanels joined to said back and front panels along vertical seams withthe lower ends of said side panels joined to said back panel on oppositesides of said front panel in continuation of said transverse seamproviding folds which accommodate lateral expansion, the said frontpanel being longer than said side panels so as to form a pouch at thepoint where the front panel is joined to said back panel.

3. A supporter garment comprising a central back panel of elastic fabricwith vertical elasticity, a front panel joined to said back panel in atransverse seam at the lowermost edge of said back panel and having autility slit located centrally thereof, and side panels of elasticfabric with horizontal elasticity joined to said back and front panelsalong vertical seams with the y lower ends of said side panels joined tosaid back panel on opposite sides of said front panel in continuation ofsaid transverse seam providing folds which accommodate lateralexpansion, the said front panel being longer than said side panels so asto form a pouch at the point where the front panel is joined to saidback panel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,830,824 Boland Nov. 10, 1931 2,027,987 Reis Jan. 14, 1936FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 574,426 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1946

